Client expression of hostility in psychotherapy.

Abstract

This study examined the expression of hostility in psychotherapy on 40 clients in an outpatient clinic. Results indicated an association between inward hostility and psychopathology for females at intake and for males at termination. Although there were no gender differences for outward hostility, females in comparison to males demonstrated greater inward hostility. Expression of Hostility and PsychopathologySeveral studies have focused on the relationship between the expression of hostility and psychopathology (e.g., Lemaire & Clapton, 1981;Smyth, 1982). In investigating the relationship between these two variables, it is important to distinguish between hostility expressed outward (toward others) and hostility expressed inward (toward the self). Dividing hostility into outward and inward components, Gottschalk and Gleser (1969) reported that for males, measures of outward hostility are associated with other indicators of aggression, as exemplified by Gleser's (1960) adjective checklist and the Oken (1960) Hostility Rating. They also reported that, for males, both outward hostility and inward hostility are correlated with clinical ratings of depression. In a study that compared junior high school students-who had been referred for coping courses (counselor groups) by school guidance personnel with volunteer students, Silbergeld, Manderscheid, and O'Neill (1979) found

An interpersonal stage model of the therapeutic process.

“…Similarly, Gurtman (1992) demonstrated that a relation exists between interpersonal problems and distrust (i.e., a generalized expectation of the worst from others). Rubin, Abeles, and Muller (1992) found that the expression of hostile behaviors in therapy was related to the relative amount of client psychopathology. Therefore, individuals with more psychological symptoms need their expectations for and tendency to engage in negative complementarity altered.…”

Review of research conducted in psychology program training clinics.

“…Other significant research on therapy process and outcome has been conducted with samples of TC clients. This includes series of studies in which an archive of session audio recordings was used at Michigan State University (Ankuta & Abeles, 1993; Eaton, Abeles, & Gutfreund, 1988, 1993; Eckert, Abeles, & Graham, 1988; Filak, Abeles, & Norquist, 1986; Klee, Abeles, & Muller, 1990; Rubin, Abeles, & Muller, 1992), research on therapy process at the University of Toledo (Elliott, 1984; Elliott et al, 1990; Elliott, James, Reimschuessel, Cislo, & Sack, 1985; Labott, Elliott, & Eason, 1992), and a study in which the SEQ was used to explore brief treatment in a TC (Mallinckrodt, 1993). We have not reviewed these studies in greater depth because they do not include data that suggest that the samples are representative of the client population served by that clinic at the time of the study, nor do they explicitly address the relationship of the phenomena studied to the TC context.…”

Major trends in psychotherapy: Implication for priorities for Psychotherapy.

“…It has generally been accepted that gender plays a role in both the cause and treatment of psychological disorders. As an example, women are twice as likely to be depressed as men (Strickland, 1992) and tend to demonstrate greater inward hostility (Rubin, 1992). Men are less likely to engage in psychotherapy (Robertson & Fitzgerald, 1992).…”